Peugeot 107

It’s easy to fall for the charms of the nippy 107, but does it really need stripes and a bodykit? Buyers opting for this model will get a car that’s mechanically identical to the £900-cheaper Urban variant. If you want an environmentally sound city runabout, there are few better, but the Sport XS adds needless expense to a budget package.

Go-faster stripes have been around for decades, but they are still a favourite with French car makers aiming to add some spice to a familiar shape.

The latest model to earn its stripes is Peugeot’s 107 Sport XS. Complete with a big snowplough-style front bumper, white wing mirrors, smart alloys and twin centre-exit exhaust pipes, it turns plenty of heads.

Inside, the new 107 gets a leather wheel plus a bright red centre console, air vents and gearlever, but the changes are only skin deep. With no extra power, the Sport XS comes with the same eager 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine and neat handling as the standard model. However, all of the range-topper’s trim changes go against the city car’s entire design and development mantra.

Made alongside the Toyota Aygo and fellow French manufacturer Citroen’s C1, every part of the Peugeot, from the one-piece glass tailgate to the rotary heater controls, has been thoughtfully designed to keep costs to a bare minimum. The Sport XS’s extras shatter the 107’s tightly controlled budget and add a hefty £900 to the price tag. That pushes the cost up to £8,345.

At that price, the Peugeot simply can’t compete with full-sized superminis. We would recommend trimming off the XS and going for a basic 107 variant instead.